A spool is utilized to hold thread, string, hose, cable, filament, wire or a variety of other materials for storage and operation. In one example, an additive manufacturing machine that form shapes and products layer by layer utilizes a filament plastic material that is stored and spools and fed into the machine. The filament is held on a spool of the machine that both stores the filament prior to use and advances the filament into the work space. Different filaments and different machines include different configurations to hold different sizes of spools and different quantities of filament material.
Additionally thin material such as wire may be utilized in other manufacturing processes including welding and coil winding. In each example, a spool is designed and built for each specific application. The width of the spool is typically fixed and may include features that correspond to a specialized machine or mount. Accordingly, material suppliers may need many different spool configurations and sizes to meet the needs of customers. The many different types, sizes and configurations of spools increase cost and complexity and require the storage, tracking and of many different spool configurations for different machines and different materials.